Update 4/26/2020

So…quarantine, huh? Being stuck indoors is an interesting paradox since I can’t work and have the time to work on personal projects. That said, finding the focus and motivation to really make progress on those ventures is an exceedingly challenging front. My goal has been to post pieces on a bi-weekly schedule, starting with my next posting. Still, here is an update on what #content is on its way to this website:

Why You Should Watch/Read Beastars

So all this time indoors left me in a position where I finally started going through my television backlog. Calling it a television backlog is somewhat charitable, considering that almost all of it was anime. Out of all the shows, the one that really stuck with me was Beastars. This was very much to my own chagrin. I desperately did not want to have strong feelings on what is objectively a horny furry show, but here we are. The reason I am writing about the show because it is so weird it initially scared me off. Still, upon journeying through the initial discomfort, it really stands out as something special. As some might surmise by the title, I will be borrowing some light structural elements from Super Eyepatch Wolf’s videos. To be honest, I would not write this if I heard that he was making a video on the subject.

Hadestown and Art

In August of 2019, I was allowed the incredible opportunity to see the musical Hadestown on Broadway. It was incredible and really has stuck with me. I toyed writing about it for a while now but had felt mixed on the matter. Musicals are such a hard medium to endorse since they are both expensive and can only be viewed in specific cities that can host stage productions. The fact that most people would never have the chance to see Hadestown is both why I wanted to write about it in the first place, as well as why the topic felt snobbish to me. About a week ago, I listened to “Road to Hell (Reprise)” to find a specific lyric and found myself crying… seven months after seeing the show. To hell with my concerns. It’s my website, and I get to choose the material.

In Development

Beyond these two pieces, I am still doing preliminary research for some future topics. There is an article on counterculture I want to write, but it still needs a thesis. I have a lot of thoughts on live games and narrative, precisely Destiny and Final Fantasy XIV. Currently, I am playing through the Final Fantasy XIV expansions. I will likely wait to write about it until I at least finish the main story quest for Shadowbringers. There is one topic I can’t wait to write about but still needs more research. It is on what I think is an emerging art movement I am tentatively calling "Hopecore." That said, further research is desperately needed. The idea of following up on previous writings is also something I am considering. There are thoughts on Borderlands 3 that did not make it into my original piece. Beastars is ongoing, and I want to do a spoiler deep-dive at some point.

What now?

Now I have officially committed myself to some of these topics. Feel free to shame me for not delivering now. Bi-weekly is the target schedule, but considering how uncertain the future is, I have no qualms about delaying a project to ensure its quality. You only get one chance at a first impression. I have also always wanted to try my hand at the video essay format. If you think any of these are video material, let me know.